A Hamburger Today

Skillet Suppers: Eggplant and Tomato Pasta

Posted by Yasmin Fahr, Oct 30, 2012

[Photographs: Yasmin Fahr]

Making pasta in a skillet may sound like a crazy notion, one that will probably receive some harsh judgement from hard-core Italian cooks, but it's actually one of the better time-saving solutions out there (plus, it results in less dishes to wash). As we've discussed before, the key is making the sauce saucier so that the pasta can cook in the excess liquid, and absorb all of its delicious flavors. The way to achieve this is by adding some low-sodium broth or water to the sauce.

This pasta is a slight riff off of the Pasta alla Norma, that's typically made with ricotta. The key is purchasing firm eggplants and cooking them well in the first step of the recipe since they will only be added back in to warm through at the end. If you worry that your sauce isn't saucy enough, you can always add more broth or water, but give it a chance.

The first time I ever made pasta in a skillet, I hovered over it, trying to inspect through the lid to make sure the pasta was actually cooking and the sauce wasn't totally disappearing and drying out the dish. It didn't, and it was delicious. Too much worry for no reason!

So don't worry about what people may think or that this won't turn out well, because it will. And this quick and handy way of making pasta might just become your go-to weeknight meal because it's definitely become mine.

About the Author: Yasmin Fahr is a food lover, writer, and cook. Follow her @yasminfahr for more updates on her eating adventures and discoveries, which will most likely include tomatoes. And probably feta. Happy eating!